Adventures with my Brother Spaghetti with Brown Butter

Larry and I did something we haven't done in awhile this Thanksgiving - 

We Went Away.  

On a plane.  

To Las Vegas!!


We went to visit my baby brother Bryan and his wife Sarah and their kids Travis (14) and Beth (11) And their dogs Jack, Belle and Tattoo. And oh my goodness, we had such a great time!!

It started out with Bryan and Sarah buying our tickets as a graduation present for Larry AND then using their points to bump us up to first class on the long Charlotte to Las Vegas leg of the trip.
After being in first class, I don't know how I've ever flown before.  or will ever fly again.  Sigh. It was SOOOOO sweet....  they treat you like humans and serve you food and drink and smile at you.  We sat down and they offered us ice water before the plane even left!  Then the steward came around and asked us what we'd like to drink. Larry said Bourbon.  All they had was Jack Daniels, and Larry said that's fine.  The steward asked if he wanted it with ice or water and Larry said no, I'll take it neat.  "Ooohh...you are hardcore!!" the steward said. "I'll have to keep my eye on youuuu!!!

On Weds Larry went along on a dog walk.

Bryan, Sarah and Travis

I had to ask Sarah what it was like - living in an area where the sun shines and the sky is relentlessly blue!!!

On Thanksgiving Day we had wonderful dinner with my dad and Sarah's parents Mary and Walt.

Family Portrait!

Our dad.

Then on Friday morning we got up at 3:30 in the AM and took off for Universal Studios in Los Angeles.  
(My dad stayed behind to catch up on his sleep, watch the dogs and try to figure out Bryan's TV.)

Universal Studios was a blast!!  We had VIP tickets - Just like first class!!!

8am. Just before our VIP Tour started.

The gas station from Back to the Future!

the bates home from Psycho!!

Tom Cruise's War of the Worlds

The whole lot of us!!!

After we left universal Studios, we went to the Old Spaghetti Factory and met with Susan, Sarah's twin for dinner.  Yummo!!!  

Here is one of the dishes that we had there and which I made for dinner tonight.  Simple and tasty!!

I'll write more later about the Strip and Bingo and more cool stuff we did!!

So try out this spaghetti!!  Easy and SOOOO good!!!

Old Spaghetti Factory's Spaghetti with Brown Butter
CDKitchen http://www.cdkitchen.com
Serves/Makes: 4    |   Difficulty Level: 3    |   Ready In: < 30 minutes

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1 cup Mizithra cheese
pasta of choice

Directions:
Browned Butter Procedure: Cut butter into tablespoon-sized pieces and place in a 2-quart sauce pan. Place the pan of butter on a burner on medium heat. Bring butter to a slow boil (about 5 minutes).

Once the butter begins to boil, stir constantly to prevent residue from sticking to the bottom of the pan. As the butter cooks, it will start to foam and rise. Continue stirring, otherwise the butter foam could overflow (about 5 minutes) and catch fire.

Once the butter stops foaming and rising, cook until amber in color (about 1 to 2 minutes). It will have a pleasant caramel aroma.

Turn off the heat and remove pan from burner. Let the sediment settle to the bottom of the pan for a few minutes.

Pour the brown butter through a strainer into a small bowl. Do not disturb the residue at the bottom of the pan.

The brown butter can be stored in the refrigerator and reheated in a microwave as needed.

Boil the pasta of choice until Al Dente. Drain pasta and divide into four servings. Spread 1/4 cup of Mizithra over each pasta serving. Top with 1/4 cup of hot brown butter.

Cook's Notes: There is a terrific dish served by The Old Spaghetti Factory chain, called Spaghetti with Browned Butter,. It is served topped with shredded Mizithra cheese (a Greek hard cheese). If mizithra is not available (I am able to easily locate it St. Louis at cheese shops and some supermarkets), a blend of ricotta salata and romano is suggested.

Pity Party Expanded

I woke up this morning sad and depressed from a bad dream. 

And I had a pounding headache.

And it was pouring rain outside.

And it was Tuesday.  The day I get up around 5 to take Larry to the metro.  I did promise, after all.

Then I got to work and it was just one crisis after another.

So after I left work and crawled into my car I decided that a little pity party was in order.

And what's a pity party without retail therapy??  So I went to The Very Thing, a local consignment store.  

And I felt MUCH better when I left!

Look at my cool stuff!!!!

A Rocking Horse Santa. So Sweet!!

This is a beautiful double handled depression glass bowl.  I've had my eye on it for awhile now...

Debbie Mumm Snowman mugs!! I bought a set of these years ago when I worked  at the quilt store and fell in love with Debbie Mumm fabrics.  And we literally used them up!!  I couldn't believe that they were there...Way high above my head.  The saleslady had to use a reacher thingy to get one down to see what the price was.  She said 4 mugs for $5.00.  I said ooooh, and she said I'll just get the rest down for you....

My new holiday Sangria pitcher.  When I first showed it to Audrey I slipped and said "Sangria MUG"  She raised her eyebrow and I thought to myself..add a squiggly straw and I would be in business...

What I didn't  buy....but probably will....today....

Electronic Family - Masters of the Obvious

My friend Sue and I had a quick phone conversation today.  

Quick because I was on my way to work, and quick because even though Sue is officially retired  (I am not at ALL jealous...) she was busy packing and getting ready to go visit young Charlie.  Oh and Matt and Mandy and Charlie's furry brother Mitch.

Sue:  So are you working from home today?

Me:  Not anymore, but Audrey will be there.

Sue: Oh, good!  Then I can run over and bring your plates back.

Me:  It's ok, Sue.  You can wait until you get back...I have a couple of other dishes that I can use until then....

Me  Oh that reminds me, i need to bring back 3 more of your tablecloths!

Sue:  That's ok.  Take your time!  I only have one table!!

That must be why we are such good friends...

We have back-ups!!!

A Sound in the Night

Grey and Neve have their own little beds in our room.

We started this when they were babies and we know it's time to move them to the guest room and we will.  Eventually.

On Friday nights after Popop helps Grey and Neve brush their teeth we watch a movie.  

 This week I called down and said hey, do you want to watch Megamind?  Grey said no, I don't like Megamind.  Neve said Yes!! I love Megamind! I want to watch Megamind! I miss Megamind!  Let's watch it right now!!!  So, we watched Megamind.

Grey had had a sinus infection all week and still had a cough.  After the movie we got him comfortable, then we all went to sleep.  We woke up a couple of times when he was coughing, but he settled down quickly.

Then, about 3:45am we heard this weird sound.  A kind of quiff quiff sound.  Like someone couldn't breathe.  Like GREY couldn't breathe.  We broth jumped up and frantically turned on our lights, convinced that Grey was desperately trying to breathe, trying to remember how to do a tracheotomy with an ink pen....

And Grey was sleeping peacefully.

And Paulie the cat was hacking up a hairball.

Paulie was quickly thrown out of our room, Larry and I managed to restart our hearts, and we slept peacefully the rest of the night.

Whew....

We HATE it when they are sick!!!

Paulie feels that he is the real victim in all this....

It's the Little Things

So, what do you think??

The Major

The Captain

HMMMM...Maybe it's the tie.....

Ruminations on a Slowly Filling Toilet Tank

Larry and I have been spoiled.  And we will be the first to admit it.

From 1983 through 2003, except for a 6 month lease in Oklahoma and a 3 month lease in Louisiana, we lived exclusively in military quarters.

And we loved it.

We loved the security of living on post.

We loved the convenience of living on post.

We loved not paying utility bills while living on post.

But, mostly,

We loved the housing engineers.

What?  You threw a spoon in the sink from across the room and it bounced up and hit the window - shattering it in the process?  And it is in the winter?  

The housing engineers came right on over.

Oh -  your pipes burst in the ceiling of your front hall two days before you are giving the Welcome Coffee for the new Battalion Commander's wife?

When the housing engineers left the fresh paint gleamed as your guests arrived.

And the sewer backed up on the day that you were having company over and were planning on serving the handmade tortellini you slaved over and made without a pasta roller?

After the housing engineers left, everything was sweet smelling and dinner was amazing!

About the only time the housing engineers WERE NOT helpful was the day at FT Polk, LA that the black widow spider who lived near my front door light decided to have babies.  As I watched all those spiders stream down my outside wall, I was screaming on the phone for them to DO SOMETHING!!!  Thank goodness my neighbor was home for lunch, heard me screaming and ran over with a can of superduper spider killer spray.

So what does this have to do with the toilet tank oh so slowly filling at 1:30 am?

The thing that has always petrified me about home ownership is what to do when something breaks down.

I am not talking about the 'fridge or the stove or the dishwasher.  We've already replaced them.  And the hot water heater - I can deal with that.

But plumbing.  That costs LOTS.

And our house is eleven years old.  Things are starting to wear out.

So tonight, when I woke up from a restless dream and went in to use the bathroom, flushed, remembered (guiltily) that I had forgotten to brush my teeth, brushed them, took my hair out of braids,(having a hot flash at bedtime sucks) put some stuff on my hair guaranteed to make it absolutely beautiful and gorgeous by morning, and finally got back to bed, I realized - the toilet is still running!  I stayed still for a couple of minutes hoping that it would quit or that Larry would get up to take care of it.  When neither happened, I got back up, took the lid off the tank, wondered how the hell can they get away with calling it a ballcock, and tried to figure out why it wasn't filling.  After staring at it blankly for several seconds, I pushed the flapper thingy down and voila!  The tank filled!!!

Then I realized that I had to go to the bathroom again.

And sadly realized that we can never call the housing engineers again.

Good-bye, Fair Knights - we loved you so....

Putting Away the Linens

I am upstairs, hunkered down in front of the new dresser that we bought at the "as-is" section at IKEA separating my linens.  It is a huge dresser and I just realized that it is not big enough.  I am still sore and my hands evidently have tendinitis from my lovely iron tablecloths and use as much spray starch as you can marathon before the wedding, so I am getting a little frustrated.

Why do I have all this stuff?

It was fairly well contained until a couple of months ago when we moved a china closet downstairs.  Then we gave a friend a buffet and two recliners that were also up in the "guestroom".
The china closet held most of the tablecloths, a bunch of the napkins and all of the lace thing-ys.
The buffet held a bunch more tablecloths and some runners and some doilies. 
And the recliners held a bunch of extra blankets.

So everything ended up on the single bed and in a bunch of tubs.  We also deposited a lot of stuff that we didn't have room for downstairs.

THEN, I went upstairs the day before Audrey left for Leia's wedding and tore things up looking for runners and doilies and interesting lacy things.  (I'd known that I needed these things for a couple of months - procrastination is a sin that I am working on, thank you very much!)  Audrey quickly washed them and ironed them and took them to PA.

AND THEN a couple of weeks later, Mary and I took our lives in our own hands and went looking for more doilies and runners and interesting lacy things.  And tablecloths for the wedding and tablecloths for the rehearsal dinner.

We escaped with our lives, but we left even more devastation behind us.

So now I am trying to tame the mess and get everything back to order and I am for the first time seriously doubting my abilities.

I doesn't help that it hurts every time I bend over or pick anything up.

So back to the question - Why do I have all this stuff??

I bought them because I love vintage textiles, and back before our lives were so busy and chaotic, I enjoyed tending to them and looking at the colors and admiring the techniques used in making and decorating them.  And they are so soft.  And I can just imagine people using them way back when.  And because i went a little batty a couple of years ago on EBAY and bought a few (?) box lots to get a couple of particular pieces and now i am kind of overloaded.

I guess what I need to remember while I am sorting thru all the baskets and tubs and piles is that these pieces of fluff and fabric make my home a little prettier.

And make dinner a little nicer.

And make bridal showers a little more elegant.

And make rehearsal dinners a little friendlier.

And made Leia's wedding reception a little sweeter.

And helped to make Mary and Lance's wedding a little more beautiful.

Leia's tables before they put on the tablecloths

Mary's tables just before we finished decorating them

And if you all ever need to borrow any linens to make your life somehow better, please don't hesitate to call.  I'll probably GIVE them to you!!

I'll close with something that my friend Sues' daughter-in-law Mandy said as we were spreading out my tablecloths for Chris and Stephanies' rehearsal dinner.

(As close as my menopause addled brain can remember it, that is.)

Mandy said - "These are so beautiful!!  I always thought that if you had nice linens, it was a sign that you were grown-up."

Hmmn...I guess I am!!

(I sure hope that I remembered to send her some linens!)

Ok, enough procastinating.  I am going to find a pain pill and FINISH that room.

If i don't make it, at least it will be a soft landing!!